JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



ularly throughout the state, but un- 

 like that species it seems to have no 

 summer records from southern 

 Maine. In this section, however, it 

 appears at intervals in great abun- 

 dance. 



At Scarborough, Nov. 1882, they 

 were "Unusually numerous with the 

 last." [Lo.ria curvirostra minor.] 

 (Brown Bull. Nutt Orn., Cb. viii, 

 p47.) 



They appeared again in 1889, being 

 first observed on Jan. 1, at West- 

 brook, and were rather numerous un- 

 til March 11. Though careful watch 

 was kept at the same station no more 

 were seen until Jan. 13, 1900, when 

 they were found in abundance and 

 remained until March 10. 



At the time of this last appearance 

 the birds were first seen in large 

 flocks, feeding in hemlock trees, and 

 spruces also whenever they could be 

 found. 



As early as Jan. 16 they had be- 

 come much scattered, and were seen 

 flying in all directions, but no flocks 

 could be found; their bodily condi- 

 tion was still excellent. By January 

 27 they had resorted to the ground 

 and weed patches; they were now 

 considerably reduced in flesh. After 

 this observation a few could be reg- 

 ularly found feeding upon the alder 

 seeds. Almis Incana. 



From this time to the date of their 

 last observation they were commonly 

 feeding upon the ground and acted 

 as though famishing. 



None of the birds collected here 

 were in condition to breed, a fact in 

 marked contrast to specimens taken 

 on islands of the northwest shores of 

 Jericho Bay, some of which were 

 ready to breed in early spring. There 

 the spruce is the dominating feature 

 of plant life. Indeed the spruce belt 

 seems to be more essential to the 

 tastes of this bird than to any of its 

 allies or associates. In feeding in 

 their favorite conifers their move- 

 ments are very parrot like, a fact 

 pointed out by Nuttall in mentioning 

 certain caged specimens. 



During this visitation one or a pair 

 was often seen in larch and arbor 

 vitse trees by our windows where 

 their feeding habits could be easily 

 watched. When the small cones 

 broke from their supporting branch, 

 under the force of the birds' opera- 

 tions, they were seized in its claws 



and held while the bird searched be- 

 tween the scales for seeds and even 

 insect matter; when satisfied the 

 cone was dropped. Where a flock is 

 feeding the patter of falling cones is 

 audible for a short distance, and they 

 often bear mute testimony to the 

 scene of a recent feast as they lie 

 thick under the trees. A small 

 amount of insect matter was found in 

 some of the stomachs collected in 

 January. 

 Acantkis hornemannil exilipes. (Coues.) 



Hoary Redpoll. 



Rare winter visitant, probably of 

 occasional occurrence with other 

 Redpolls and with Siskins. 



Mr. Knight in "Birds of Maine," 

 recognized but one authentic Maine 

 record, that of a specimen contained 

 in the collection of the writer: this 

 was taken at Westbrook, Me., Jan. 

 26, 1896. (Norton Proc. Portland 

 Soc. Nat. Hist, ii p, and Knight's 

 "Birds of Maine," p. 92. 



While this probably is the ^^glothus 

 canescens of several lists and papers, 

 Mr. Knight's course in eliminating all 

 unsupported citations seems highly 

 commendatory, the more so since the 

 synonomy of this group was so much 

 confused at the time these references 

 were made. 



Acauthis linaria. (Linn) Common 

 or Lesser Redpoll. 



An abundant irregular winter visi- 

 tant, more rarely winter resident, 

 occasionally bringing with it its dis- 

 tinguished relatives from the borders 

 of the Arctic circle. 



Some seasons it has been known to 

 arrive early in November and remain 

 until late April, and one instance of 

 its occurrence as late as May 19, 1875, 

 is on record. (Brown, Proc. Port. 

 Soc. Nat. Hist, ii p 12.) Other years 

 it delays its coming until January or 

 even March, in the one instance due 

 to a wandering of local bands for 

 food supply, in the other being a mi- 

 gration northward from some more 

 southern point. Early in the fall or 

 winter it may associate freely with 

 Siskins, both feeding in flocks of 

 same size upon the seeds of alders 

 and gray birches. Toward spring, 

 no doubt owing to the exhaustion 

 of this supply through the several 

 agencies, the birds resort more con- 

 stantly to weed patches and bare 

 ground, being especially partial to 

 old broken ground. At this season 



